Speakwell

Today apologizing has become an integral part of our vocabulary. There is none who can state that he/she has never had the occasion or incident that made them apologize to a fellow human being or vice- verse. There is no language or culture that does not indulge in the usage or practice of apologizing. Apologizing is an art in itself. It not only involves the presence of your mind but also the awareness of the gravity of the situation at that particular given time. Try expecting an apology from someone who has just stamped your foot while boarding the suburban local train in the rush hours of Mumbai. Oh!  My goodness wouldn’t you be the lucky one?  At Speakwell, we have dedicated an entire chapter in the book on conversations dedicated to this topic. Speakwell is one of the leading Spoken English training providers in the country and has developed course material dedicated to the learning of English language. We have an audio visual lesson based on this topic and our students reenact these scenarios in the classroom as practice.  Man being a social animal is in constant interactions with his/ her fellow being. These interactions tend to be artistic, eccentric and at times interesting and fascinating too. Over the years man has evolved into a more complex being and his demeanor has drastically changed. Today man has mastered the skills of communication and conversations. He has grown more profound in his etiquettes and knowledge. Likewise, his methods of apologizing to have greatly improved.  One would be amazed at the different levels of apologies that are prevalent in English. A few examples are cited below. Being formal If you are writing to someone you don’t know too well, use of formal phrases is highly recommended. I would like to apologize… Please accept my apologies for … While writing to a friend one can state I am So Sorry I am really Sorry… I am Sorry but…. I am sorry that… Bigger mistakes need a stranger apology I do apologize for .. I must apologize for .. I sincerely apologize for … Another form of apology is used when conveying the sad or bad news to people. Unfortunately Forgive me. I am afraid… Due to reason beyond my control… I regret to inform you… My deepest/ sincere apologies… As a matter of fact, one should apologize even while interrupting others. Phrases mentioned herein used should be used. I beg your pardon Excuse me Despite having the many phrases for asking forgiveness, not everyone dares to use it.  Many feel vulnerable at the time of apologizing. It is widely believed to be a process most essential for calming of one’s soul. It being relieved from the guilt of having done something wrong or having committed a mistake.  

An office boy at one of the Speakwell centers embarrassed the centre manager when he mentioned that the scented sticks are over and needs to be purchased. The centre manager was flummoxed when she heard that. Later on when she realized that he was meaning to say that the agarbatti was over, she was quite amazed. This boy had been listening to the faculty member teaching this in the class and was also reading from the Spoken Words book of Speakwell where he learnt this word and applied it in his sentence.When somebody speaks in English or in any other language the use of words indicates the level of understanding of that person of that language. The words used by us while speaking makes the language sound good. When we speak a language the quality of our speech is judged by the words we use. This collection of words which are unfamiliar or difficult or rather artistic in style and technique is called the vocabulary. It gives a flavour to the talk and makes it sound interesting. All great speakers have excellent vocabulary and their speeches have profound effect on people not only because of the message it conveys but also because of the excellent words used in the speech and the fantastic way it is delivered.For anybody seeking to improve their English language skills whether it is their spoken English skills or their written English skills they must focus on increasing their vocabulary. This is true for all categories of people whether beginners or advanced learners of spoken English. At Speakwell, we deal with vocabulary in two parts. The first part is basic vocabulary which deals with words related to common topics like amusement, treatment, seasons, etc. For early learners or beginners of spoken English this is an awesome way to get acquainted with the world of English. A good example of this is the office boy mentioned in the beginning of this article. Those who have never spoken a word of English feel elated when they are able to grasp a few simple words like names of known animals and birds and common things that they use in daily life like spices etc. even agarbatti.Once the learner is a bit acquainted with the simple words and has also understood the grammar concepts then we expose them to more difficult words. Speakwell has dedicated an entire book called Word List, where the learner makes sentences out of such slightly difficult words. However, learning vocabulary is a life-long exercise. The word flummoxed was my learning of today and now that it has been applied, it has become part of my vocabulary. Unlike old times, when one had to refer to the dictionary to look up words, these days the editing software like Microsoft Word itself throws up similar words. Online dictionaries and Google itself are rich source of new words that can be incorporated into your vocabulary. Anybody who intends to improve their Spoken English has many easy ways to improve their vocabulary. All that one need is to have is a desire and the commitment.Author: Is an entrepreneur who co-founded a Spoken English training company named Speakwell. He is actively involved in Skills development initiatives in the corporate & Govt. sector and is engaged with CSR initiatives for many well known companies.  

English is a global language, incredibly spoken not only in the English speaking continents of US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand but also by the population in countries where the mother tongue is other than English. For eg. India and many other Asian countries. English is the gateway to communication and global contacts all over the world. In other fields it is the passageway to studies. No wonder today more and more educational institutions and spoken English classes in pune are turning towards this medium of instruction. Today the garb of English has changed its appearance.  For some it is for growth and transformation in lifestyle and career.  For others it is the required criterion to reach a certain position in life and reshape their lifestyle. For others still it is for the attitudinal transformation. It has been observed among the numerous students that have passed out from technical and management institution that among the four important skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing) speaking is the most difficult for these students. And it is their lack of confidence, which is one of the main barriers that affect their oral performance and constrains their development and growth What is Lack of Confidence? Self Confidence is the trust or faith in oneself or in one’s abilities and lack of Self Confidence is just the opposite. Without the self confidence, a person lacks the capability to articulate his thoughts and make sentences. They start fumbling and loosing track of the thought and end up feeling frustrated with their own self. You may also describe this as hesitancy, wavering, faltering or apprehension.  All these words show one character. That the person does not believe in himself but rather have been internalizing the negative messages he has received all along. Most of them come from a background that perceive English as the language for the intelligent and difficult to master it.  The weak foundations they have imbibed within themselves make them timid and create a fear within them that making mistakes is wrong and will be ridiculed and criticized. This fear makes them reluctant to express themselves openly. So it’s paramount that trainers first create confidence in students, motivate them to perform and generate a positive, comfortable atmosphere and drill the axiom that making mistakes are okay as learning cannot happen without mistakes. That is precisely, what we do at Speakwell. We make the student come up in front of the class and start communicating with the classmates. Many of them cannot speak even a word. In such situations, the trainer involves the student by asking some pointed questions related to an area of comfort. Slowly, the student, over a period of time gets the comfortable speaking in front of his/ her own class. Slowly, their self confidence is improved. And it is easier for them to make mistakes. They do not feel intimidated. They start expressing themselves in faulty English. While we work on their confidence, in parallel we work on their knowledge of English grammar and make them adept in the understanding of making of sentences. They practice making sentences and also speaking in the class and within a period of 2 -3 months they start speaking in English. They may not be perfect in their English but definitely their confidence takes an upswing and their English would eventually get corrected as they keep encountering English language scenarios in their life. Self Confidence plays a substantial role in the success of learning as it builds a good Self Image. And, once self Confidence has been created, self Esteem (opinion one has of oneself) will automatically breathe a new life. Self Confidence will build a good Self Image. And that will slowly move towards expressing oneself without the fear of making mistakes or being ridiculed. Speakwell The best English Speaking Institute is a confidence building factory. Capability of English speaking is a by-product of this confidence factory.  

Retail banking, which is sometimes known as personal financial services, is what most people think of as high street banking; it concerns providing financial products and services, such as bank and saving accounts, insurance and mortgages, to individuals. Some banks also include their business banking wing in their retail banking division. Retail banks are essentially retailers, so they need to combine meeting financial targets with good customer service. They turn a profit by charging fees for services or interest for borrowing money. When financial markets experience turbulence, some companies introduce more stringent criteria for borrowing money and increase their interest rates.  

Digital Marketing Course eBay  Seller Course It is almost certain that the next blue ocean in India is going to be ecommerce. There are some of the facts that exactly give us the holistic picture of ecommerce Industry. Indian retail market will be worth 900 bn USD by 2014 and out of which online contribution is just 0.47%, while the global Industry average is 4%. Our neighbour country China is very close to the Industry average.  Number of people below the age of 35 is going to be close to 828 Mn by 2015. This can be very interesting figure for all e-commerce companies in India. Adoption of new technology is also an important factor for fueling the growth of e-commerce Industry. Current trend shows that India will have 450 Mn smartphone users and close to 100 Mn 3G users by 2015. Most Important – The Internet –  Close to 376 Mn unique internet users by 2015 and Current users: 120 Mn but we are still struggling with Infrastructure and bandwidth (High speed Internet). India’s e-commerce market  grew at a staggering 88 per cent in 2013 to $ 16 billion, riding on booming online retail trends and defying slower economic growth and spiraling inflation, according to a survey by industry body Assocham. “The increasing Internet penetration and availability of more payment options boosted the e-commerce industry in 2013,” Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said. “Besides electronics gadgets, apparel and jewelry, home and kitchen appliances, lifestyle accessories like watches, books, beauty products and perfumes, baby products witnessed significant upward movement in last one year,” Rawat said. According to the survey, India’s e-commerce market, which stood at $2.5 billion in 2009, reached $8.5 billion in 2012 and rose 88 per cent to touch $16 billion in 2013. The survey estimates the country’s e-commerce market to reach $56 billion by 2023, driven by rising online retail. As per responses by 3,500 traders   and organised retailers in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Kolkata who participated in the survey, online shopping grew at a rapid pace in 2013 due to aggressive online discounts, rising fuel prices and availability of abundant online options. Among the cities, Mumbai topped the list of online shoppers followed by Delhi, while Kolkata ranked third, the survey found. The age-wise analysis revealed that 35 per cent of online shoppers are aged between 18 years and 25 years, 55 per cent between 26 years and 35 years, 8 per cent in the age group of 36-45 years, while only 2 per cent are in the age group of 45-60 years. Besides, 65 per cent of online shoppers are male while 35 per cent are female. To make the most of increasing online shopping trends, more companies are collaborating with daily deal and discount sites, the survey pointed out. The products that are sold most are in the tech and fashion category, including mobile phones, iPads, accessories, MP3 players, digital cameras and jewelry, among others, it found.India has Internet base of around 150 million as of August, 2013, the survey said. “Having close to 10 per cent of Internet penetration in India throws a very big opportunity for online retailers to grow and expand as future of Internet seems very bright,” Rawat said.Those who are reluctant to shop online cited reasons like preference to research products and services online (30 per cent), finding delivery costs too high (20), fear of sharing personal financial  information online (25) and lack of trust on whether products would be delivered in good condition (15), while 10 per cent do not have a credit or debit card. As more and more people are choosing to do their purchases online, companies are seeking ways to use eRetail as an additional option of selling their products. Companies do not have staff trained to take advantage of eCommerce for their products. This is a new sector that is evolving and can potentially have a very large impact on employability of the youth. This is a sector that has not yet been tapped and holds the promise to employ more than 10,0000 candidates in the next 2 years with a steady growth of 20% per annum for the next 10 years. Speakwell has a tie-up with eBay , the leader in this space to create a training program that will enable the student to become an eCommerce specialist for the company. In the next 10 years we expect to train over one lakh students in the eCommerce specialist role. The eCommerce Skills also serve as a very good option for self employment. With some years of experience, the candidate can startup his or her own venture which will serve as a consultant for companies who cannot afford to establish a separate department catering to eCommerce selling. Many young entrepreneurs, who have started off their venture are now running a team of 10 – 12 such eCommerce specialist. The availability of trained resources in this sector can have a far reaching impact on our economy as well, because eCommerce opens up the world as a territory for our local companies, giving them access to the world market  for their product’s unique value propositions, whether it be price, quality or ingenuity.    

Speakwell is Mumbai’s largest Spoken English training network with over 100 centers across Mumbai, Pune and other cities of India. Speakwell has one of the most innovative curriculums to teach English to anybody who can read and write. Speakwell offers a set of 7 books and 2 DVDs in the following local languages 1)   Hindi 2)   Marathi 3)   Gujarathi 4)   Malyalam 5)   Tamil 6)   Telugu 7)   Kannada Each of our students has access to a sophisticated assessment system which keeps a track of their progress through the course. Apart from this they can also download an English language training App mapped onto the Speakwell course which gives them audio video lessons to be viewed on their mobile.

With the advent of huge e-marketing platforms like Google, Facebook, Twitter & many more, the digital marketing field has seen a tremendous growth. Earlier, companies only saw them as an unneeded trend and now it has become imperative that if you want to grow on the digital spectrum, you need a brilliant digital marketing campaign. Thus, this has resulted in an increase in demand for professionals who specialise in the digital marketing field. Digital marketing field can be divided into 3 main parts namely SEO (Search Engine Optimization), PPC (Pay-Per-Click) & SMM (Social Media Management). Normally, professionals try and specialise for any one of these but you will always find experts who are masters in all three fields and are digital marketing experts. The growing demand has resulted in there being many agencies, institutes and companies that give training courses and lessons in the digital marketing field as both academic and professional curriculums. When someone completes their respective course, these digital marketing institutes give them certificates which can also be added to their CV and seen as an added qualification. This works well for individuals finding jobs in the digital marketing sphere. Apart from completion certificates, once an individual grasps a basic understanding of digital marketing concepts, he can then also give other online tests to get more certificates like Google certification for Adwords and Analytics, Bing certification for Bing Ads, and so on. Digital marketing has been growing and will keep on maintaining the growth as its potential for catering to huge audiences is a huge advantage over all other fields of marketing. Thus, in order to be a digital marketing expert, enroll for Speakwell Skills Academy’s Digital marketing Course today!  

Many people in India are not lucky enough to go to a brilliant English medium school. They general middle-class population had their education mostly at local language medium schools. So, this meant that even though the students learnt English as a subject, they still did not have many opportunities to brush up their spoken English skills. Neither were they having competent faculties to teach them proper spoken English skills nor were their parents putting any emphasis on the importance of learning this global language in a fluent manner as they did not know. The current generation of youth that had big dreams and wanted to make a difference suddenly realized after coming into the corporate environment after their studies that how lacking their English communication skills were! Resulting in the masses putting more emphasis on improving spoken English skills and communication skills. This immediately had an effect on the education field and surely people started going to English training institutes to develop their personality and skill set further! In today’s corporate environment, it has truly become imperative that people communicate fluently and efficiently if they want to have an impact on the corporate level. If we compare two individuals, where one has good qualifications and bad communication skills, and another with brilliant communication skills and decent qualifications. The one who will progress would be the latter as he will be able to work more proficiently and harmoniously with his/her colleagues. Also, it is very much likely that they will easily survive the corporate jungle. So, unless you have excellent english speaking skills, there will always be a limit to your success and you will always be hindered by your own shortcomings!

Becoming a Manager  :  While many of us have experience of the corporate world or have the right qualifications like an MBA degree we fail to get managerial positions. This is due to lack of certain corporate traits which we train in this course. This course is for all such candidates who aspire to become managers. Only a few candidates are selected for this course through an interview process. These candidates undergo the training and are placed in reputed corporate. Become a Manager Course  

1)   Speakwell provides value-based training at your premises of your choice & as per your schedule & convenience.2)  Personalized learning helps students understand their own style of learning and to develop learning and teaching strategies that fit the ability of an individual.3)  Speakwell maintains learning profiles that offer detailed information of every student’s weaknesses and strengths that teachers use to personalize learning.4)  It also helps the student in building their confidence and communication skills.5)  Customer specific/customized training program6)  Trainers shortlisted& mapped as per student’s requirement7)  We give first preference and importance to our clients and their needs, our motto is to serve best to our students Feedback Facility: We do take feed-backs from our students about our tutor & training program if our student is not satisfied with the tutor we provide an immediate replacement for the same.